Davina McCall was revealed as Star on The Masked Singer Christmas Special, marking a surprise appearance following her recent brain surgery.
The 57-year-old presenter, who has served as a judge on The Masked Singer for six series, showcased her talent as she secured second place after performing festive classics Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and This Christmas.
Davina appeared in high spirits as she made her return to television following surgery to remove a rare benign brain tumor.
Regular panelists Jonathan Ross, 64, and Mo Gilligan, 36, were visibly shocked as they were joined by guest judges Jennifer Saunders, 66, and Dawn French, 67, for the festive special.
Jonathan remarked, “There is absolutely no way—we thought you couldn’t sing that well. I’m glad you’re okay, but to me, you are now dead.”
Host Joel Dommett humorously added, “I said you had diarrhoea and couldn’t be here.”
Davina responded, “I thought you might get me with the DVD one. It has been a ball, thank you!”
She delivered a stellar performance before joyfully jumping around the stage in her elaborate costume. Later, she changed into a sparkling red dress to join the panel for the final performance by winner Holly Johnson, who was disguised as the Nutcracker.
Reflecting on her experience, Davina described the show as “one of the greatest experiences of my life,” sharing how much fun she had being on the other side of the series.
“I learned so much and now have even more respect for the contestants. It’s eight shows, which means a lot of songs to learn,” she said.
She also shared the challenge of keeping her participation a secret, saying, “Keeping it from my kids all summer was tricky. Twice, Holly and Chester asked why I was singing Christmas songs.”
Davina admitted she misled others to maintain the secret. “Maya [Jama] asked if I could sing, and I said, ‘Absolutely not, I’d never do this show.’ Harriet Rose asked me while filming The Aftermask if I’d ever do it, and I said no! The ruse has been quite funny because in my head I’d be thinking, someday, you’ll all see.”
